DEVELOPERS have officially “declared their intentions” for Stirling’s former Rainbow Slides leisure centre.

Allan Water Developments Ltd have submitted a proposal of application notice to Stirling Council planners.

In it they say they intend to embark on a pre-application consultation on potential proposals to redevelop the site.

They have earmarked the site for a possible mixed-use development, comprising hotel, student housing, and retail units with associated access road, parking and landscaping – including the demolition of the former leisure centre.

Last month the Observer reported that the firm was believed to have written to Mercat Cross and City Centre Community Council starting they hoped to lodge a formal bid to Stirling Council later in the year.

The pre-application notice follows new Scottish planning legislation which required major development proposals to first be consulted on locally prior to any official planning application being lodged.

The company has been in talks with Stirling Council for more than two years in a bid to procure and develop the site.

It was put back on the market in 2009 after a potential community use for the defunct leisure centre fell through.

At that time a network of local churches, known as the Rainbow Consortium, had hoped to develop a project, however eventually decided not to proceed.

Before the Rainbow Consortium, the council had been negotiating with Stirling University, which had shown an interest in the site. However, the university was then said not to be interested in pursuing it in the short term. At that time consultants had said the most attractive market demand was likely to come from retail, residential, hotel or another commercial use.

Rainbow Slides was controversially closed in February 2008 after the council decided not to pay for necessary repair work.

Since then the derelict centre has been something of an eyesore and at times a security headache, including a fire in 2008 and a period of several break-ins to the property and anti-social behaviour in the car park.

Initially councillors had originally been told to expect a £1.7 million payback from the sale of the leisure centre, but were later told that the figure was unrealistic given the credit crunch.